A week of violence in Algeria and Mali has transformed al-Qaedas North Africa branch into a cause celebre for militant Islamists around the globe, boosting recruitment and fundraising for the jihadists and spurring fears of further terrorist attacks in the region and beyond.

Even after suffering tactical defeats in both countries in recent days, the movement known as al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb is being lionized in Internet chat rooms and in official statements by extremist groups, some of which are urging reprisal campaigns against Western interests.

U.S. officials and terrorism analysts are pointing to last weeks hostage drama in eastern Algeria as a turning point for the al-Qaeda offshoot, boosting its credibility while marking its transition from a predominantly Algeria-focused organization to a true multinational threat able to draw manpower, weapons and resources from across the region.

As American troops prepare to withdraw from Afghanistan in the next two years, ending a conflict that started as an effort to crush al-Qaeda after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Washington and other Western capitals face the grim threat of a virulent new al-Qaeda wing capable of a broad reach.

They are growing more dangerous. They are growing in numbers, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said on CNNs State of the Union show Sunday.

In an interview with The Washington Post, Rogers described the attack on an energy complex in Algeria as a strategic victory for the al-Qaeda branch  commonly known as AQIM  with echoes of a militant assault on a U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, in September that killed the ambassador and three other Americans.

This is on the heels of Benghazi...this becomes a recruiting dream for them and a nightmare for us, Rogers told The Post.

We tried to stop them in Iraq and Afghanistan...but the liberal media, Europe and the US lefties thought it was murder. Now that Muslims threaten European interests in Africa...The Europeans and lefties panicking.

10
posted on 01/21/2013 6:50:18 PM PST
by Dallas59
(America died a little bit more on 11/6/2012)

Yes! G.W. Bush had it right — take the fight to them. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan left AL-Qaeda with too few resources to make trouble elsewhere. For the reasons you mention, the job was left undone. Now, AL-Qaeda is able to export terror elsewhere. Their new operating and recruitment bases in Libya, etc. are helping a lot — to say nothing of all the weapons NATO provided to their friends.

There is no such thing as improving ANY part of Africa. That place has the ability to suck up an ENDLESS amount of aid and show no improvement whatsoever. It’s a fool’s errand to go there, expecting to make a difference. It is also reckless to go there at all.

If Al Qaeda goes unmolested in the Sahara, then that is to their benefit..? No, all by itself that is a PUNISHMENT. For them.

And what if they perturb the local populace..? Mali has the highest birthrate on planet Earth, and would probably be helped by the lethal way AQ normally acts. Yes, AQ would “help” Mali more than Bono ever did or ever could.

By all means we should encourage every AQ militant to hurry to the exotic sands of the Sahara, to have their bones bleach white in the sun, in the hell that Africa is.

Mali is the new Afghanistan, you say..? Considering our recent history that should be a huge, blinking light to the USA, “STAY OUT”.

Mali is a central point for Al Qaeda and related affinity terrorism movements to strike out at unpopular governments (I can’t think of a popular one in Africa).

Morocco and the even weaker Mauritania are the two prime targets of Al Qaeda because it would give them control of the western coast of Africa, thus endangering shipping by AG supporting “pirate” operations against shipping.

Algeria is the prime target in northern Africa, with Tunisia already on the downslide (Moslem Brotherhood is strong there). Libya is a basket case but might be salvageable. Egypt is a bad tossup right now. MB runs the country and probably funds/arms extremist Islamic groups and movements, esp. in the Sinai, Gaza, etc.

Other African countries next to or near Mali include Chad, a country wracked by both foreign invasion (Libya) and internal dissension since my sister-in-law and her husband were there with AID in the 1970’s or early 80’s. (Got caught in the crossfire between Chad and Libya).

Niger is also a potential problem and Nigeria is definitely the richest economic target of AQ, plus its large Moslem population.

The old Domino Theory is alive and well in Africa, Arab and Sub-Sahara parts. Don’t forget Somalia and Puntland (Moslem extremists and pirates).

Kenya: Moslems versus Christians
Eritrea - Marxist dictatorship now in turmoil
Ethiopia- Somewhat friendly to the West
Zimbabwe - Marxist death camp dictatorship
South Africa - Crime central of Africa, run by the Marxist African National Congress/ Communist Party of So. Africa.
Tanzania - Moderate moslems under extremist infiltration

and the list goes on.

A major defeat in Mali and Algeria would set back AQ and other Moslem extremist movements for years. The French can fight, and well if they use the right troops, but apparently the logistical system sucks for troop and equipment delivery.

At least the US still has a few big delivery planes (C-5A and C17’s available). Aircraft carriers are no good unless you use them (which we didn’t do in Libya and you see what happened there).

Lastly, France is ruled by an elected marxist “socialist” but at least he know when to fight in France’s interest.

We are ruled by a marxist anti-American dictators in progress. He won’t fight to win anything other than his own imperial re-election.

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